Refrigerating car structure



May 8, 1956 H. w. KLEIST REFRIGERATING CAR STRUCTURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Nov. 24, 1950 U QN N WW

USN

May'8, 1956 H. w. KLEIST 2,744,383

REFRIGERATING CAR STRUCTURE Origihal Filed Nov. 24, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 HHI' jnvenzor' flerman la flezlsz 5 (DOA/FM :fi farrzeys May 8, 1956 H. w. KLEIST REFRIGERATI NG CAR STRUCTURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed Nov. 24, 1950 REFRIGERATING CAR STRUCTURE Herman W. Kleist, Chicago, 111., assignor to Dole Refrigerating Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois 14 Claims. (Cl. 62-4) My invention relates to an improvement in refrigerating car structures.

One purpose is to provide a refrigerating car structure adapted for the maintenance of effectively low temperatures for the handling and transportation of perishable goods.

Another purpose is to provide a refrigerating structure for refrigerator cars which is efficient and durable and has its working parts readily accessible.

. Another purpose is to provide an actuating unit for a refrigerator car structure which is unitarily applicable to and removable from a refrigerator car.

Another purpose is to provide a refrigerating car in which evaporator plates or members form part of and strengthen the sides of the car.

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and drawings.

The present application is a continuation of my copending application Serial No. 197,279, filed November 24, 1950, for Refrigerating Car Structure, now abandoned.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a car employing my invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on an enlarged scale on line 22 p of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation with parts broken away and parts in section, on an enlarged scale, illustrating one of the evaporator elements which I employ in my car construction;

Fig. 4 is a section on a still further enlarged scale on the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is adiagrammatic showing including operative connections wiring it; and

Fig. 6 is a wiring diagram illustrating the automatic operation of a diesel engine used in connection with m refrigerating car structure.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring to the drawings, A generally indicates a typical refrigerating car made in accordance with my invention. It is shown as including insulated wall members, including a bottom 1 and top 2, end walls 3, 4, and side walls 5, 6. 4a is an intermediate refrigerated partition which separates the interior of the car from a separate end working compartment. The side walls 5 and 6 have any suitable door openings 7. Whereas my invention is applicable to trucks and other conveying means, I illustrate it as applied to a railroad car having flanged wheels 8 running on rails 9.

In my structure, I preferably employ a plurality of evaporators or evaporating units which I illustrate as plates. I may employ, for example, four of such plates illustrated in Fig. 5 at 10, 11, 12, and 13, the four plates in question being arranged along upper parts of the side walls of the car. If it is desired, I may employ also additional plates 14 and 15 which may advantageously be secured to the top wall 2 of the car. Itwill be understood that the number'and dimensions'of the plates may be varied to suit the desires of the car designer.

However, I find it advantageous to employ four plates, two plates being secured to or forming part of each side wall structure 5, 6. The two plates of each side wall being located at opposite sides of the side door 7.

Considering the individual plates as applied to the side walls, I illustrate an outer wall 20 which may, under some circumstances, advantageously extend from top to bottom of the wall. Plates 20 are so shown, for example, in Fig. 2 and may be secured to and form part of the side walls 5 and 6. The plates, for example, may be bolted or otherwise secured as at 200, the number and spacing of securing elements being varied to suit the needs of the particular car involved. Each plate includes also an inner wall 21 which may be connected to the outer wall 20 by edge or circumferential wall or wall portions 22. Where the plate is made of continuous metal sheets, as is advantageous, the circumferential walls 22 are simply bent from the inner wall 21 and terminate in circumferential flanges 23 which may be welded or otherwise tightly secured to abutting parts of the outer wall 20. Within the space between the walls 20 and 21 is an evaporator coil 24 which is shown as including preferably rectilinear lengths of rectilinear tubing. The rectilinear tubing is of uniform thickness and the opposed parts of the tubing and the inner surfaces of the walls 20 and 21 are preferably in even contact. Any suitable bends 25 may connect the rectilinear lengths of the rectilinear tubing 24. Any suitable spacers 26 may be employed for positioning or spacing the parallel rectilinear lengths of tubing.

In order to maintain adequate contact between the opposed surfaces of the coils 24 and the walls 20 and 21, I find it advantageous to properly exhaust the interior of the plate thus formed. I may provide, for example, a fitting 27 through which air may be pumped or otherwise exhausted, locking the interior of the plate. The fitting includes any suitable valve or locking means whereby, when air is no longer being drawn or expelled from the interior of the plate, no air is permitted to flow inwardly into the plate. Thus a pressure differential exists between the interior of the plate and the outside atmosphere suflicient in degree to cause an excess outside pressure firmly to thrust the walls 20 and 21 against and about the plane supporting surfaces of the rectilinear tubing 24. Thus an adequate heat transfer connection is provided, whereby when a volatile refrigerant is evaporated within the tubing 24, heat is abstracted from the interior B of the car. At the same time, the atmospheric pres sure firmly holds the plate in substantially rigid relationship and constitutes a substantially rigid reinforcement for the side wall of the car. The outer wall 20 of the plate extends substantially throughout the inner surface of the side wall and serves several different functions. In the first place, it serves as a bottom support for the plate structure, since itmay advantageously extend to the bottom or floor of the car. In the second place, it constitutes a means for transmitting or carrying cold from the plate downwardly through the car space. Or, more properly, it constitutes a heat conductive means for abstracting the heat from the lower part of thelcar space, since it is in heat conductive relationship with that part of the plate which houses the evaporator coil 24. It may also function as part of the wall structure of the refrigerating car and constitutes with the plate itself a strong Wall structure or structural reinforcement for the insulated car side walls 5 and 6.

Any suitable means may be employed for cycling a volatile refrigerant through the individual plates 10, 11, 12 and 13. In railroad practice, it is advantageous to employ a Diesel engine. Such an engine is diagrammatically illustrated at E in Fig. 5. It operates a compressor 25 which, through a pressure duct 26, delivers compressed refrigerant to any suitable condenser or condenser coil 27. For example, air may be passed through the coil by a fan 28 suitably driven from the engine E. 29 is any suitable receiver from which the high pressure duct 30 extends. This duct which may advantageously extend across the car in line with the door spaces 7 has branches 30a, 30b, 30c and 30d extending, respectively, to the plates 10, 11, 12 and 13. Where the additional plates 14 and 15 are employed, additional branches 3% and 30) may be employed. 31 indicates a return duct to the suction side of the compressor 25. It is provided with receiving branches or return branches 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 312, and 31 Thus the four plates, or six plates, or any number which happen to be employed in a particular our structure, may simultaneously receive a volatile refrigerant for evaporation within the coils of the individual plates.

Whereas I may employ a wide variety of control systems, I find it advantageous to employ individual pressure reducing valves or elements 32 in each of the high pressure or supply lines 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d, 302, 30

Each of these in turn may be controlled by a thermostatic or heat responsive member 33 located in heat conductive relationship with the return duct 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31c, 31 of the same plate. In other words, each plate has a reduction valve or element on its intake duct connected to and responsive to a heat sensitive element on the return duct of the same plate.

It should be further understood that the plates are advantageously partly filled with any suitable eutectic. Assume that the space surrounded by the walls and 21, but exterior to the coils 24, is partially or substantially filled with such a eutectic. The result of cycling a volatile refrigerant through the tubing 24 is to evaporate the refrigerant and to abstract heat from the eutectic with the cycling continued for a predetermined period. The eutectic is solidly frozen and each plate becomes in a broad sense a metal sheathed slab of ice of substantial bulk. Thus, regardless of whether or not the volatile refrigerant is being evaporated, the frozen eutectic during its gradual thawing constitutes a refrigerant reserve which continues to abstract heat from the storage space and thus to maintain an adequate low temperature within the refrigerated space. Thus, for a substantial period or periods, it is unnecessary actually to cycle the volatile refrigerant through the plates and the motor E and the compressor may advantageously be left inoperative. When temperature conditions within the car demand a resumption of operation of the cycling mechanism, the engine E is again started. I may employ any suitable controls, but I illustrate, for example, the diagrammatically shown thermostat which responds to temperature conditions within the interior B of the refrigerated car. When there has been a predetermined temperature rise, or a rise to a predetermined temperature, the thermostat 40 or its equivalent calls for refrigeration. It may, for example, close a circuit through any suitable control box 41 to any suitable engine starter or launching means whereby the engine E again resumes its operation and suitably drives the compressor 25. Operation of the motor and compressor is thus re-initiated and continuesas long as further refrigeration is called for by the car interior. Any suitable means may be employed to terminate the operation of the motor either after a predetermined period or in response to a predetermined temperature drop or in response to some indication of completed freezing of the eutectic in all of the plates connected to the system.

I find it advantageous to employ an easily accessible end compartment for the cycling unit. I illustrate, for example, in Fig. 1 an end compartment C defined between the end wall 4 and intermediate insulated wall 4a. The end wall 4 need not be insulated and is preferably provided with any suitable air previous members, louvers, or the like, indicated, for example, at and 51. Preferably, the compartment C is opened either at the side or end of the car so that a unitary support or frame or base 52 which carries the engine and its associated parts may be removed. For example, as shown in Fig. 5, an engine support 52 carries on it the engine E, the compressor 25 and the condenser 27 and the control box 41. Thus the entire installation may readily be removed or applied. For example, where repair or replacement is necessary, all the operator has to do is to release the control box 41 from its wiring 41a and release the ducts 30 and 31. Thereafter, the entire operating assembly, including the engine, the compressor, the condenser and the receiver, and all associated parts, ducts and wiring, can readily be removed as a unit for repair or service. A space or replacement unit may thereafter be immediately installed so that the car is ready for operation immediately thereafter. The control box, which forms part of the same assembly unit, may carry or be connected to all the operating parts of the motor and motor control system, including a starter, motor generator, throttle solenoid, starter condenser, amperemeter, and cut-out relay, etc. Any suitable batteries may also be mounted on the support 52.

It will be realized that Whereas I have described and shown a practical and operative device, nevertheless many changes may be made in size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore wish my drawings to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative or diagrammatic, rather than as limiting me to my specific showing herein. For example, the number of plates employed and their location may be widely varied. The details of controlling and starting the engine may be widely varied. While I prefer to employ a diesel engine, I do not wish to be limited specifically to any particular type of power plant.

However, I illustrate in Fig. 6 a satisfactory diesel engine hook-up as follows:

The control box 41, shown also in Fig. 5, will be located in the compartment C, and, preferably, bodily removable with the above-described engine and cycling assembly. It will be understood that thermostatic means 40, in response to a predetermined drop in temperature in the interior of the car, may be made effective to terminate engine operation. Likewise, in response to a predetermined temperature rise in the interior of the car, the thermostat 40 is effective to initiate operation of the motor and thus of the compressor. Fig. 6 schematically indicates a typical hook-up.

It will also be understood that any suitable indicator means may be employed for permitting train crews and the like to observe temperature conditions in the system. For example, I shown, in Fig. 3, an indicator which responds to a thermostatic element or bulb 101 which may, for example, be in a duct or pipe 102, the outside of which is surrounded by the eutectic in one of the plates. The dial or indicator 100 may be positioned at any suitable point, and may, for example, be located on the exterior of the car so that train operators can readily determine the temperature conditions within the plate. It will be understood, of course, that individual indicators may be used for each plate, or that, under normal circumstances, a single indicator for one plate may be adequate. Under some circumstances, it may be preferable to have the indicator or indicators in the control compartment.

It will be understood that whereas I illustrate an advantageous type of plate to be used, I do not wish to be limited to the specific type herein shown, since other plates may be employed to obtain at least part of the advantages of the invention as described and disclosed herein. The details, thickness and proportions of the plate may be widely varied, and, under some circum' stances, I may wish to omit the extension 20.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

I illustrate a refrigerator car in which the refrigerating elements may advantageously be built into the car and employed as part of the wall structures of the car. I My plates; constitute substantially rigid reinforcing members for the car. On the other hand, they are highly robust and strong and cannot be damaged or put out of service by any normal flexures or shiftingof the car walls such as takes place in the normal use of the car. In other words, my plates provide robust reinforcing elements which, however, are not put outof service by any stress or strain normal to the use of the car.

I find it advantageous to arrange plates in'pairs on the side walls at opposite sides of the. side 'doors. This arrangement is diagrammaticallyillustrated, for example, inFig. 5. The connecting ducts or controls readily are extended above'the side door '7, as shown also in Fig. l.

The plates can be secured to and form a part of the wall structure and preferably include metal outer walls 20 whichextend to the bottom of-theside walls. However, whereas the plates may be employed as a bodily part of the side walls of the car, they'maynonetheless be .removed by simply releasing thescrews or other securing members 20a which pass through the walls 20. Also, where less than the full number of plates herein shown is necessary, it is simple to cut plates out of the system and remove .them fromthe car. Likewise, the car which has been initially supplied with less than the full number of plates can readily receive additional plates, the plates being easily applied to the car-structure. The generally parallel ends of a supply duct 30 and the return duct 31 may advantageously be'located along the top wall 'of the car above the space between the side doors 7. These ducts can then receive the supply and return branches for the various plates employed.

The work compartment may be advantageously open either at the side or'at the end of the car. I indicate, in Fig. 1, an arrangement in which the'assembly in the work compartment is movable through the sidewall of the car through the apertureindicated, for example, ;at 120.

It will be understood that I may provide any suitable means for cutting out individual plates where less than the entire number is needed. In Fig. 5 I illustrate heatresponsi ve members including the valves 32. It will be understood. that any suitable means may be employed for closing one or more of the valves 32 when less than the full number of plates is needed.

My unit is very well adapted for use as a self-contalned car annex for a frozen storage plant. For example, a storage plant in one citycan send one or more cars to another city or to .intermediate towns, and dispense frozen goods from them, or receive goods for storage, where the situation does not justify putting up additional plants. l i

It will also be understood that, in such an event, where two or more cars may be on a siding or on a trip for some time, I may employ a cycling unit handling sutficient refrigerant to supply two or more cars. All that is necessary is to connect adjacent cars to the unit of one of the cars.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerated car assembly of the side door type, a plurality of refrigerating plates positioned within the car, there being one such plate on each side wall of the car at each side of the side doors of the car, each said plate having an upper portion and a refrigerant coil housed therein, and a lower portion constituted by a sheet metal extension of the plate, said lower portion extending adjacent the floor, of the car and being adapted to constitute a support for the plate as a whole, and a temperaturetransmitting member in heat transfer relation with the rest of the plate, said car including a work compartment, a compressor and condenser positioned within said work compartment and motor means for actuating it, a pressure duct extending from said condenser to said plates and a ,return duct extending from said plates to said compressor,

whereby, a volatile refrigerant is cycled through the plates in response to operation of' the compressor.

2. In a refrigerated car structure, an outer wall and an inner ear wall, insulating material disposed between said walls, said innercar wall including at least one refrigerating plate having generally parallel plate walls with tubing for cycling a refrigerant contained therein disposed between the plate walls in heat transferring relationship to'the plate walls, one of said plate walls being extended to present a generally extended heat' exchanging surface forming a structural element of the inner car wall, said tubing forming a reinforcing member for the walls of the refrigerating plate.

3. A structure as in claim 2, characterized in that the means for maintaining the inner surfaces of the plate walls in heat transfer relationship with the outer surfaces of the tubing is constituted by means for maintaining a less-than-v atmospheric pressure in the interior of the plate. i

4. A structure as in claim 2, characterized by the excess area of the larger plate wall being of suflicient gauge to constitute an effective heat abstracting extension of that part of the plate which houses said tubing.

5. A structureas in claim 2, characterized in that the tubing is rectilinear and has parallel rectilinear walls adapted to be opposed to the parallel plane inner surfaces of thesheet metal walls of the plate. c

6. Ina refrigeratedconveyance-structure, an outer ref frigerated wall and an inner reinforcement therefor, said reinforcement consisting of a refrigerating plate having generally parallel sheet metal walls with tubing for cycling a refrigerant contained therein disposed between the walls of the plate in heat transferring relationship to at least the inner-wall of the refrigerating plate, said inner wall being directly exposed to storage space within the con veyance, the outer wall of the plate abutting and being secured to the. inner surface of the outer wall of the con veyance in a substantially continuous reinforcing relation: ship, and means for cycling a refrigerant through the tubing of said plate, said plate forming, at the same time, a generally rigid reinforcing member of substantial area for the inner wall of said conveyance structure, and means for maintaining a pressure less than atmospheric between the walls of said plate.

7. In a refrigerated conveyance structure, an outer refrigerated wall and an inner reinforcement therefon'said reinforcement consisting of a refrigerating platehaving generally parallel sheet metal walls with tubing for cycling a refrigerant contained therein disposed between. the walls of the plate in heat transferring relationship to at least the inner wall of the refrigerating plate, said inner .wall being directly exposed to storage space within the conveyance, the outer wall of the plate abutting and being securedto the inner surface of the outer wall of the conveyance in a substantially continuous reinforcing relationship, and means for cycling a refrigerant through the tubing of said plate, said plate forming, at the same time, a generally rigid reinforcing member of substantial area for the inner wall of said conveyance structure.

8. In a refrigerated car assembly of the side door type having a refrigerating space therein defined by walls of the car, a plurality of generally rigid, eutectic refrigerating plates, each having one wall portion thereof in abutting contact with a wall of said car and in reinforcing and supporting relation to said wall, there being one of such plates on each side wall of the car at each side of the side doors of the car and in heat transferring relation to said space, said car including a work compartment and an insulating Wall separating it from the refrigerated space within the car, a compressor and condenser positioned within said work compartment and motor means for actuating said compressor and condenser, a pressure duct extending from said condenser to said plates and a return duct extending from said plates to said compressor, whereby a volatile refrigerant is cycled through the plates in response to operation of the compressor, and means o ini iati and t rmitas n v sa d. me e resume to temperafiire qdi 1. .5 in. ai a a d meter means cqmp sss r 4 .4 con ens b n q at d. .1 a b se. a s b i rea ly e o b r m th o m a m n 9. In a refrigerated ear assembly of the side door type having a refrigerating space therein defined by walls of the car, aplurality of generally rigid refrigerating plates, each having one wall portion thereof in abutting contact with a wall of said car and in reinforcing and supporting relation to said wall, there being one of such plates on each side wall of the car at each side of the side doors of the car and in heat transferring relation to said space, said car including a work compartment and an insulating wall separating it from the refrigerated space within the car, a compressor and condenser positioned within said work comant is cycled through the plates in response to operation of the compressor, and means for initiating and terminating said motor means in response to temperature conditions in said car, said motor means, compressor and condenser being mounted on a base, said base being readily removable from the work compartment.

10. The structure of claim 9, characterized in that parallel supply ducts extend between the pressure duct and the plates and parallel return ducts extend between the plates and the return duct to the compressor.

11. The structure of claim 9, characterized in that the ducts between the compressor and condenser and the plates extend above the space between the side doors of the car.

12. In a refrigerated car assembly of the side door type having walls defining a refrigerated space within said car, a plurality of refrigerating plates, each having one wall thereof in abutting contact with the inner surface of one of said walls within said space, each plate being generally rigid and in reinforcing and supporting relation to the wall, said car including a work compartment and an insulating wall separating it from the refrigerated interior of the car, a compressor and condenser positioned within said work compartment and motor means for actuating said compressor and condenser, a pressure duct extending from said compressor to said plate and a return duct extending from said plates to said compressor for thereby cycling a volatile refrigerant through the plates in response to operation of said compressor, means for initiating and terminating the operation of said motor means in response to the temperature within said space, and means responsive to the temperature condition in the portion of said space adjacent each plate for varying the flow of refrigerant through each plate.

13'. In a refrigerated car assembly of the side door type,

a. p ali f r tr seratins Pla pq iq p h n h car, there being one such plate on each side wall of the car at each side of the side doors of" the car, each said plate having an upper portion and a refrigerant coil housed therein, and a lower portion constituted by a sheet metal extension of the plate, said lower portion extending adjacent the floor of the car and being adapted to constitute a support for the plate as a whole, and a temperaturetrans'mitting member in heat transfer relation with the rest of the plate, said car including a work compartment, a compressor and condenser positioned within said work compartment and motor means for actuating it, a pressure duct extending from said condenser to said plates and a return duct extending from said plates to said compressor, whereby a volatile refrigerant is cycled through the plates in response to operation of the compressor, said refrigerant coil being rectangular in cross-section.

14. in a refrigerated car structure, an outer car wall, and an inner ear wall, insulating material disposed between said walls, said inner car wall including at least one refrigerating plate having generally parallel plate walls with rectangular tubing for cycling a refrigerant contained therein and disposed between the plate walls in heat transfer relationship to the plate walls, said plate abutting and being secured to the car wall and forming a structural element of the inner ear wall, said tubing forming a reinforcing member for the walls of the refrigerating plate, and thus for the inner ear wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 634,583 Morris Oct. 10, 1899 716,091 Palmer Dec. 16, 1902 1,811,806 Raymond June 23, 1931 1,956,622 Parker May 1, 1934 2,038,434 Lipman Apr. 21, 1936 2,100,871 Phelan et al Nov. 30, 1937 2,268,667 Mendez Jan. 6, 1942 2,271,437 Lewis Jan. 27, 1942 2,289,728 Rees July 14, 1942 2,319,890 Swart May 25, 1943 2,406,241 Morrison Aug. 20, 1946 2,411,296 Schweller Nov. 19, 1946 2,436,389 Kleist Feb. 24, 1948 2,486,822 Cameron Nov. 1, 1949 2,489,754 Crider Nov. 29, 1949 2,531,315 Wyllie Nov.'2l, 1950 2,534,273 Kleist Dec. 19, 1950 2,538,014 Kleist Jan. 16, 1951 2,571,445 Hawkes Oct. 16, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 992,386 France July 11, 1951 

